A PHILOSOPHICAL EVALUATION OF CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY FROM THE LENS OF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO'S DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

Abstract

Obafemi Awolowo's ideology of democratic socialism focuses on state development, free education, and social welfare aimed at improving citizens' lives. In this work, an examination is performed of how such an ideology can function in modern Nigerian society with regards to present political and economic transformations. Thus, this work considers policies drawn from Awolowo's ideology vis-a-vis contemporary Nigerian context. Certain challenges such as corruption, external economic factors, and poor leadership bewitch the otherwise effectiveness of Awolowo's social democratic ideologies in the present Nigerian setting. Materials, data for this research work were sourced from articles and journals.The methods of philosophical analysis and historical hermeneutics were used to handle them. The findings in this work suggests that for Awolowo's ideology of democratic socialism to work in modern-dayNigeria (Africa), leaders must undertake a transformation of his ideology into a reality, consolidate structures like capitalism, and have high political will.